Chen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,339,546 discloses a bandage to be applied to a body surface comprising a water impervious film having an adhesive gum-like bonding composition secured to one side. The bonding composition is a blend of a water soluble or water swellable hydrocolloid admixed with a water insoluble viscous gum-like elastic binder.
Crowe in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,122,140, 3,122,141, 3,122,142 and 3,156,242 disclose medical dressings comprising a sheet of foam material such as polyurethane with fiber webs acting as capillaries dispersed throughout. Buese in U.S. Pat. No. 3,649,436, Lindquist et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,918 and Wharton et al. in British Pat. No. 1,253,845 disclose medical dressings comprising a sheet of compressed open cell polyurethane foam coated on one side with a pressure sensitive adhesive. In addition, Lindquist et al. disclose that the other side of the compressed foam may have a porous plastic coating. Bandages in which an open cell polyurethane foam is applied directly to the wound are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,113,568 to Robins, 3,157,178 to Bentov, 3,491,753 to Milton et al., and 3,648,692 to Wheeler. Other prior art medical devices containing a layer of open cell foam include a traction strip in U.S. Pat. No. 3,536,072 to Quello, a surgical drape in U.S. Pat. No. 3,669,106 to Schrading et al., and a surgical pad in U.S. Pat. No. 3,301,254 to Schiekendanz.